Greetings Northwest Region:
Register Now for the NRTRC 2024 Conference
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QI Workshop and Tech Showcase
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NEWS
New Year, New Policy!

Federal Telehealth Policy Resources: The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is offering reminders and resources related to the status of Federal telehealth policy across the country.


Other than these permanent policies, the expanded list of approved Medicare telehealth services and eligible telehealth providers implemented during the PHE and audio-only for non-mental health visits are currently slated to expire post-2024 when permanent geographic and locational limitations would return. To monitor whether any pending federal legislative changes will modify existing policies and extensions, you can visit CCHP’s federal legislation tracker.

State Telehealth Policy Resources


For more information or to ask a specific telehealth policy question, please contact CCHP via our technical assistance email address: info@cchpca.org.
Consumer Alert

Remote Patient Monitoring:The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) alerts the public about a monthly billing fraud scheme for remote patient monitoring.
New Funding Opportunity

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to integrate behavioral health services into primary care settings using telehealth technology. HRSA will award approximately $8.75 million to up to 25 grantees over five years.
2023 National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Annual Advocacy Report

The NRHA's mission is to provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education and research. The 2023 National Rural Health Association Annual Advocacy Report has been released and is available for dissemination.
AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine:
Improving Antibiotic Use

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is recruiting primary and urgent care practices, including telemedicine practices to participate in the new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

This free program promotes appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. This program provides best practices to optimize antibiotic prescribing in the telemedicine environment. Participants will have access to technical assistance, coaching, webinars, and practical tools to implement improvements in their practice. 

Continuing education units, continuing medical education credits, and ABIM MOC points will be offered free for participants. 
Telehealth Toolkit for Libraries

Libraries are uniquely qualified to fill a community need for residents who would benefit from telehealth services but lack sufficient internet speeds and privacy in their homes or who need a little extra support getting comfortable with technology.

The Idaho Telehealth Toolkit can help! Non-library community groups may also find the Getting Started Guide helpful in setting up a Telehealth Access Point (TAP) in a non-clinical space. Healthcare providers may find the guide helpful in understanding the potential of libraries to serve as partner TAPs in their area.
January

NCTRC Webinar - What will 2024 Bring For Telehealth Policy?: Join the Center for Connected Health Policy’s executive director, Mei Kwong, as she discusses federal telehealth policy 2024 and what might be next! January 18, 12:00 P.M. - 1:00P.M.

The world of AI in healthcare is filled with promise and potential, but it's not without its complexities and considerations. Join us for an enlightening webinar exploring the nuanced landscape of AI and its role in addressing crucial health workforce challenges. At a very high level, we will look at the possibilities, pitfalls, and ethical and practical considerations of using AI in recruiting clinical talent. We will then navigate the intricate landscape of AI applications within the healthcare industry, scrutinizing both current implementations and emerging technologies. Our focus will be keenly fixed on evaluating their potential impact on workforce shortages and operational efficiencies. January 25, 10:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M.

February

Net Inclusion 2024: The Net Inclusion conference has been a staple in the digital inclusion community since 2016, bringing hundreds of practitioners, advocates, academics, internet service providers, and policymakers together to share their knowledge and discuss. February 13-15

Prescribing in Telemedicine: Charting the Course Beyond the PHE Era: Join us to learn about the current state of prescribing medications in telemedicine, identify emerging trends and technologies, and discuss potential opportunities and challenges for practice. February 13, 12:00 P.M.- 1:00 P.M.
Do You Provide Health Care or Services via Telehealth? 
NRTRC's Find Telehealth is available to help patients and providers find in-person and telehealth care along with locations to have telehealth visits. TAPs can be viewed by turning on the TAPs button on the map. 


Check out NRTRC’s Telehealth Resources  

All NTRC Resources will be updated by mid-February to reflect the
2024 Physician Fee Schedule (PHE)


Telehealth Resources




  • Emergency Declarations: Utah is the only state in the Northwest Region still under an emergency declaration because of the COVID pandemic. It is set to expire when the national PHE expires. PHE ENDED MAY 11, 2023


  • Research: current research opportunities, research articles and survey results.
Grant Funding Opportunities

  • Refer to the funding page on the NRTRC website for updated grant opportunities.

NRTRC’s 2022 11th Annual Telehealth Conference video sessions are free to view. If you were unable to attend, or want to watch your favorite sessions again, visit NRTRC’s YouTube page.
Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
“This publication was made possible by grant number UiUTH42531-01 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS”